Xbox Live Arcade is a fabulous feature of the 360, and one which might catch many off-guard. Sure enough, I personally had zero interest in it prior to picking up the system, but the more I delved in and explored the bastard, the more I fell in love. It's the sleeper hit of the 360 line-up.
Essentially, Live Arcade offers small, simplistic games for direct download. Every title offers a free version for you to try out as much as you like, but you'll have to "unlock" the full game in order to play all the levels, as well as upload your scores and play the multiplayer modes. Typically, unlocking costs between £4 to £8.
Yet while the simplicity of these titles might reflect the price, the overall quality sure as hell doesn't. With surprisingly impressive high resolution graphics and stunningly realised game concepts, I'd pay twice that for some of these suckers. The games may seem a
little basic in light of Condemned, PGR3 and other 360 offerings, but in terms of gameplay, some of the best fun I've had yet has been on Live Arcade.
A large part of that is also down to the system's online integration. A simple puzzle game concept like Marble Blast for example, where you navigate 3D mazes against the clock, multiplies in enjoyment due to the mere fact leaderboards and friends lists have been built into the game from the ground up. Comparing scores and bettering your buddy's times adds unlimited replayability, and it's a concept that translates beautifully across many of these titles.
Games range from old skool arcade conversions, to brand new indie offerings. Many bare resemblance to the sorts of things you might find on a handheld in fact, meaning fans of Tetris, Lumines, Meteos, etc will feel right at home.
With more games being added every month, I decided to give you guys a round-up of 10 or so titles I've checked out so far, and in the process help shed a little light on a much undiscovered yet surprisingly sweet part of the 360 feature set.
Geometry Wars - Retro Evolved
One of the 360's killer apps this, let alone Arcade, and essential purchase material for pretty much everyone. Geometry Wars involves steering a small spaceship around a 2D plane while blowing away crazy shapes as they spawn all around you. As time progresses, these suckers respawn faster and faster, and more at once, until it eventually reaches the stage where the entire screen is literally full of 'em. The more you wipe out before dieing, the higher your score...it's that simple.
 | | Geometry Wars has taken the world by storm. One go, and it's easy to see why |
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Oh, and it's addictive as shit. Seriously, a quick 5 minute bash on Geo Wars can easily turn into 2 hours. The game is so much fun and so damn more-ish, it's scary in how hard it can be to tear yourself away.
The first Geometry Wars was included in PGR2 on the original Xbox, a mini Easter egg that could be played via visiting the arcade cabinet in your garage, but for this new incarnation, Bizarre Creations have spruced up the entire game from the ground up. It looks luscious for what is about as simple as a game can get, with beautiful explosion and particle effects that jump right out of your screen as if you were wearing 3D glasses. The colours and luminance are almost blinding at times.
Really though, this is a title almost impossible to describe while doing it justice, you really need to experience it for yourself. Repeatedly besting your high score and comparing it with people around the world is like crack, an addiction that's lived with me since day one of owning a 360. The "achievements" also offer some interesting ways of improving your gamer score, such as surviving the first 60 seconds without firing a shot, or earning 1,000,000 points without dieing.
There's a reason many are calling this the greatest game on the 360 right now - don't miss this absolute classic.
Verdict: Buy. Now.
Wik: The Fable of Souls
Wik is a PC game that gathered huge amounts of press and critical acclaim within indie circles over the last few years, and rightly so. Microsoft jumped on the opportunity and have translated it across to console here, beefing up the graphics into high-def and bringing it to a whole new audience.
 | | Wik has similarly built up quite the following over the years |
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Truthfully, it's a bit of an odd one if you've never played it before, but the fabulous tutorial puts you on the right track straight away. You play a crazy little creature known as Wik who looks like Gollum cross-bred with one of those Troll doll things. As Wik, you must navigate single screen levels by swinging around and collecting items, but the originality comes in the control system. You'll not control Wik in the traditional manner, instead you can only jump and swing. And when I say swing, I mean with his tongue.
The swinging is actually handled with surprisingly awesome physics, with a setup that handles brilliantly with the 360 pad. Bouncing and swinging around these pretty (if dark) levels is great fun in fact, as is overcoming the puzzles and hurdles of the increasingly complex level design. This is joined by fabulous presentation including beautifully captivating fairy tale-style music.
All in all Wik feels like one of the more polished and fleshed out Arcade games yet, and certainly stands out among the many Robotron clones like Crystal Quest and the like. It is however, not for everyone, and should most definitely be trialed first.
Verdict: Try before you buy, but Wik certainly impressed me with its originality and gorgeous polish.
Gauntlet
 | | I dunno, I was a huge Gauntlet guy as a kid, but even with a fancy Live graphical upgrade it feels insanely tripe these days |
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Playing Gauntlet highlights a potential downside to the Arcade experience. By collecting old coin-op classics from decades long gone, then offering them up for download in the present, we get a wonderful opportunity to revisit our childhood, yet it can also have the unfortunate side effect of making you realise that games you used to spend hours upon hours with as a kid...really aren't that great here in 2006.
Unfortunately for me, Gauntlet most definitely falls into that category. Believe me, I was a Gauntlet mega-addict back in the day too, yet the plain and simple truth is that it's just not a very good game these days. Combat is unresponsive and unsatisfying. Respawning enemies are an absolute pain. It's stupidly hard. And jesus, it's ugly as sin.
On the plus side, for its Arcade appearance, Gauntlet has not only been spruced up with high(er) resolution graphics, but has also been revamped to include 2-4 player online co-op play. If nothing else, this sweetens the deal a little, and makes it worthy of a second glance, but unless you've got a bunch of mates who are complete old skool junkies that thrive on this shit, revisiting this one is almost a little heartbreaking.
Verdict: Worth whacking on the free trial for five minutes to hear that scary announcer voice after all these years, and the subsequent tear of remembrance that alone affords, but ultimately time hasn't treated this one well and I'd skip it.
Smash TV
 | | A game that refuses to die, Smash TV is just as fun as ever |
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Smash TV on the other hand, fares considerably better than the other old skool classics currently found on Arcade. Sure, the graphics have similarly aged ridiculously, with character sprites barely resembling stick figures, but unlike Gauntlet or Joust, the gameplay still holds up beautifully today. Mowing down hordes of bad guys, grabbing power-ups, picking up, er, toasters and battling Mr. Mutoid Man? Just as fun as it's ever been. It too has also has had co-op play inserted, both on and offline, making for a wonderful trip back through memory lane.
In addition, it has to be said, the dual analogues of today's console pads work flawlessly in recreating the original twin-joystick control method of the arcade game, the one that invented the concept of running in one direction while being able to spray lead in another. In that respect, Smash TV on Live is
literally the arcade game bought to your living room...and then some.
Verdict: Essentially Running Man the video game, Smash has always been a fab title - both by yourself and with a buddy - and this is perhaps its best incarnation yet. A definite buy.
Outpost Kaloki X
 | | A sort of "Sim Lemonade Stand" in space, I guess you could say Kaloki is nothing if not original... |
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Outpost is arguably a lot more ambitious and adventurous than any other mentioned here. Hidden beneath a simple cartoony exterior, it's essentially a tycoon game at the end of the day, one in which you run a business up in space.
The game's split into scenarios, where your business must be built up from scratch to meet differing objectives, with each one building and expanding with complexity. You'll have to contend with power supplies, demand, and the usual god game shenanigans that you'd expect...only here you're not only doing it on a console for a change, but also for a mere fiver too.
In that respect, Outpost should be applauded for attempting something with a little more depth and scope than what one might have expected from the Arcade experience. For me however, its fun was short-lived, and if I really wanted a tycoon game to waste away the hours with, I'd probably fire up the PC instead.
Verdict: What I'd call an interesting and imaginative failure, Outpost is certainly worthy of a ganders in trial form, but I'd spend your hard earned Microsoft Points elsewhere if I were you.
Mutant Storm Reloaded
 | | Definitely one of the best of the bunch, Mutant Storm's another grade A killer app to sit alongside Geo |
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Yet another rendition of the old top down arcade shooting spree formula, Mutant Storm is essentially in the same exact vein as Geo Wars, but just chilled the fuck out. You'll similarly control a small spaceship, blowing away enemies with an identical control system, but instead of a never ending stream of crazy chaos, Mutant Storm relaxes into a more traditional level based system. Each level varies the number, type and layout of enemies, also throwing in sentry guns, force fields, and other neat twists. As a result, it's a heck of a lot more varied than Geo Wars, even if it's far from as spectacular.
Both graphically and sonically, Mutant Storm impresses hugely. The game has a slightly off-center over head view that twists and turns as you move, with beautifully rendered, yet played down 3D backgrounds. The music is fabulously moody and dark as well too, a far cry from Geo's cheese-erific cheddar-fest.
All in all I dig this game big time, from the lush visuals to the spooky ambience, and it's a big shame it's been somewhat overshadowed and buried next to Geometry Wars. I'd rank it up there as Arcade's most under-rated beauty.
Verdict: Love that Geometry Wars gameplay, and want more of the same (or just wanna catch your breath for a change)? Grab this sucker, it's the balls.
Zuma
 | | Zuma's one I tend to chuck on regularly, but haven't felt compelled to unlock in full form yet |
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Zuma's a cute and simplistic reflex game in which you fire off balls and attempt to line them up with adjacent colours along a moving conveyer belt of sorts. Imagine Bubble Bobble with target leading.
Such a minimal idea can live or die on how satisfying it is to play, but believe me, Zuma is pretty damn glorious in this department. The beautiful responsiveness married with that rock solid "puck" sound of the balls colliding is border-line bliss, making for a fab old bit of harmless fun for the more light hearted gamer.
Verdict: Nothing particularly amazing, but solid and simplistic fun that is at least worthy of a play in trial form.
Bankshot Billiards 2
Bankshot Billiards is exactly what the name suggests. It offers a ton of differing variations on the age old game of smacking balls around with long sticks (that is, the one found in pubs, not gay bath houses). These range from American pool to good old yellow/red Euro style, as well as 9 Ball, trick shots and a ton of other adventurous and more original games I hadn't even heard of before. Conspicuously missing however, is good old English Snooker.
 | | Neck and neck with Geometry Wars as Live's greatest game yet, Bankshot has absolutely drained all my free time in recent months |
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The game looks absolutely stunning in high-def, with a gorgeously polished view of the table that - much like Geo Wars - looks as ridiculously good as something so simple ever could. What particularly impresses are the physics though, with balls reacting gloriously at all times. The only downer is the fact some of the ball markings can be a little tricky to differentiate on occasion, distant view of the table that you have, but thankfully holding down a button pops up this info as you need it. Sound is also glorious, with cue striking ball with a glorious clunk, seemingly nicked straight out of a genuine pool hall.
Controls are simple, allowing you to alter angle, power and backspin, giving Bankshot wonderful accessibility while remaining deep and complex enough to give it longevity. But I must say the real beauty of this title lies mainly in the online multiplayer. By playing ranked matches, you can improve your Live TruSkill ranking, and it's never been more fun. With a headset on and a beer in your hand, Bankshot somehow manages to pull off that same social vibe of a round of pool down at the pub with your buddies...all from the comfort of your couch.
Something to know before going in however, is that Bankshot is a little buggy. Joining online games will freeze your entire system perhaps 10% of the time, and drop-outs can be a regular annoyance too. Whether an update fixes these issues further down the line remains to be seen, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't affect your enjoyment of this otherwise stunningly fun nugget of joy.
Regardless, this is easily one of the best Arcade games out so far. With that comes a rather steep price, leaning more towards a tenner or so, and whether it's worth that or not, really boils down to whether you're a pool guy I'd say...'cos if you are, this is, once again, must-have material.
Verdict: Big fan of ball sinking? Get it. Heck, everyone should.
Hexic HD
The one arcade game pretty much everyone owns - minus Core buyers - as the full version comes bundled free on every 360 hard drive.
 | | A freebie from Microsoft, Hexic is pretty run of the mil, all being said |
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Hexic aims to be the 360's Tetris. A simple 2D puzzle game, addictive in nature and playable for hours. Sadly, it's not the all-time beauty you'd hope for like Tetris was, but it does hold some enjoyment in its own right never the less.
Fire the game up, and you'll see yourself staring at a board of coloured hexagons. Rotating and matching identical coloured pieces will score you points, while you race against the clock to reach the next level, or aim to clear the board completely depending on your mode of choice.
It's harmless enough fun, and for this price you can't complain, but what genuinely impressed me the most with Hexic was the soundtrack. It's a beautiful mixture of electronicy ambient tunes that I'd much rather be able to play on their own minus the actual game itself.
What's also a little annoying is the trickiness of unlocking some of those achievements. Hexic is an enjoyable puzzle game, but one that expects you to plough ridiculous amounts of hours into it if you plan on making any serious progress.
Verdict: Well it's free, so you can't complain. A slightly above average puzzler that's held back by its epically long game length.
Marble Blast Ultra
The most recent addition to the Live Arcade line-up, Marble Blast only recently touched down, yet has already solidified itself as one of my faves. A simple mixture between Super Monkey Ball, and the fab yet under-rated PSP puzzler Mercury, you steer a marble around increasingly complicated 3D mazes within a time limit. The brilliance however, comes in the sense of control...this thing handles as if crafted from pure sex.
 | | Perhaps the most graphically advanced game on Arcade so far, Marble Blast shouldn't be overlooked |
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It's just so beautifully responsive, with perfect physics and a wonderfully satisfying feel. Whizzing through the simplistic early levels is enough to make you fall in love thanks to this, and sure enough prompted an immediate purchase from me.
My only problem with the game is that as it progresses, the levels up the difficulty level quite ludicrously, and unlike the aforementioned Mercury, I don't think it quite has the genius level design to back that up. As a result, its end game is rather frustrating and unenjoyable, and I have doubts I'll ever manage to finish it.
Graphically it's very clean, sharp and pretty, with the marble itself particularly impressive, reflecting the entire world around it in real time. Still, it lacks a certain something. While technically very solid and impressive for a puzzle game, it just all feels a little soul-less and anti-septic at times.
That all said, I continue to return to Marble Blast regularly, and it's primarily down to those earlier levels. I'd say the game is easily worth owning for the first half alone. Not only is playing and replaying these wonderfully fun creations a blast - matching and beating fellow players' times via the leaderboard - but the included multiplayer mode also offers some laughs too. It lacks a "race to the finish line" mode which I would have killed for, but grabbing power-ups and collecting jewels against fellow players provides some decent amusement on a lazy day.
Verdict: Fan of Marble Madness or good old Monkey Ball? This one's another purchase. Others should also check out the trial, they might find themselves pleasantly surprised. A fun, if hardcore 3D puzzler.
Of course, there's a whole load more where these bad boys came from, ranging from simplistic card games to more old skool classics from our collective childhoods. Right now Live Arcade is getting major love from pretty much anyone who tries it, offering up literally something for everyone. What's even more exciting is hearing Microsoft's plans for it long-term however. Street Fighter II will be showing up on there any day now - with online versus modes no less - and there are even rumours of SEGA porting numerous Dreamcast games across too.
My advice to those who've avoided Arcade so far, would be to lay down any preconceptions you have about budget ware and indie developers, and give these games a blast. There's a reason why even the most staunch anti-Xbox gamers in internet land all still agree that Geometry Wars is one of the greatest games released in the past few years...
(Pictures courtesy of
Xbox)
